Damage to the prefrontal cortex increases utilitarian moral judgements

The psychological and neurobiological processes underlying moral judgement have been the focus of many recent empirical studies. Of central interest is whether emotions play a causal role in moral judgement, and, in parallel, how emotion-related areas of the brain contribute to moral judgement. Here we show that six patients with focal bilateral damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC), a brain region necessary for the normal generation of emotions and, in particular, social emotions, produce an abnormally 'utilitarian' pattern of judgements on moral dilemmas that pit compelling considerations of aggregate welfare against highly emotionally aversive behaviours (for example, having to sacrifice one person's life to save a number of other lives). In contrast, the VMPC patients' judgements were normal in other classes of moral dilemmas. These findings indicate that, for a selective set of moral dilemmas, the VMPC is critical for normal judgements of right and wrong. The findings support a necessary role for emotion in the generation of those judgements.     

Weaving, Bending, Patching, Mending the Fabric of Reality: A Cognitive Science Perspective on Worldview Inconsistency

In order to become aware of inconsistencies, one must first construe of the world in a way that reflects its consistencies. This paper begins with a tentative model for how a set of discrete memories transforms into an interconnected worldview, wherein relationships between memories are forged by way of abstractions. Inconsistencies prompt the invention of new abstractions. In regions of the conceptual network where inconsistencies abound, a cognitive analog of simulated annealing is in order; there is a willingness to question previous assumptions - to ‘loosen’ conceptual relationships - so as to let new concepts percolate through the worldview and exert the needed revolutionary effect. In so doing there is a risk of assimilating dangerous concepts. Repression arrests the process by which dangerous thoughts infiltrate the conceptual network, and deception blocks thoughts that have already been assimilated. These forms of self-initiated worldview inconsistency may evoke feelings of fragmentation at the level of the individual or the society. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

颈动脉狭窄MRA和彩色多普勒超声对照研究

分析和比较ＭＲＡ 和ＣＤＦＩ诊断颈动脉狭窄的准确性,评估ＭＲＡ 作为颈动脉影象检查的诊断价值．３５ 例颈动脉ＭＲＡ 全部在Ｓｉｅｍｅｎｓ Ｍａｇｎｅｔｏｍ Ｉｍｐａｃｔ １ ．０ 磁共振机器上扫描,ＭＲＡ扫描序列为２ 维时间飞跃技术颈动脉狭窄均经ＣＤＦＩ确诊ＣＤＦＩ用Ａｃｕｓｏｎ１２８ 彩色双功能多普勒诊断仪ＭＲＡ 清晰地显示正常颈动脉的颈内动脉、颈外动脉及颈动脉分叉轻度颈动脉狭窄ＭＲＡ 表现为沿血管壁的信号丢失血流信号中断是颈动脉狭窄的特征,中度颈动脉狭窄伴有狭窄后扩张,重度颈动脉狭窄则狭窄后血管细窄颈动脉血流消失并无血流重现是血管闭塞特异征象ＭＲＡ 分级颈动脉狭窄程度和ＣＤＦＩ一致性良好ＭＲＡ 评价颈动脉非常有价值,是诊断颈动脉狭窄的一种有特征性的新方法